East African sides on losing ends in CAF Champions League

• Simba were beaten 3-1 by Raja, Vipers lost 2-0 to Horoya
• El Merreikh lost 4-3 away to Zamalek
• This was the last round of group stage matches

East African sides Simba SC, Vipers SC and El Merreikh had a tough outing on the final match day of the CAF Champions League this Friday, losing their matches.

Simba, who had already booked a slot in the quarter finals were beaten 3-1 by Group C winners Raja Club Athletic while Vipers SC of Uganda lost 2-0 to Guinea’s Horoya in the same group.

In Cairo, hosts Zamalek scored a last minute winner to beat Sudan’s El Merreikh 4-3 in a thrilling match.

In Casablanca, Morocco, both Simba and Rajas were assured of a quarter final slot, but were playing for pride, with Raja keen to finish the group unbeaten, while Simba were looking to pick an upset win.

Hamza Khabba scored a goal in either half as Raja earned the emphatic win, completing a home and away sweep of the Tanzanians.

The victory took the Moroccan giants to 16 points on top of Group C, seven ahead of Simba.

Raja dominant from the start 

John Moloko scores for SImba. PHOTO/Simba

Raja were dominant at home but they had to wait till the 44th minute to break the deadlock when Khabba beat Joash Onyango to the ball before rifling past the keeper.

Simba however regrouped after the break and showed their fighting spirit, drawing level just three minutes after the break when John Beleke scored with a sumptuous finish, chipping the ball over the keeper from the edge of the box after he had raced off his line.

But, the home side were not about to drop three points and they battled to get back into the lead. They did so in the 70th minute when Khabba completed his brace from the penalty spot after he had been brought down inside the box by Onyango.

They completed the job four minutes to time when Mohamed Boulacsou ran behind the defense to pick up a pass from Abdelraouf Benguit before firing past the keeper on the volley.

Simba’s attempts to put some respect to the scoreline wasn’t as successful as Raja saw out the 3-1 victory, completing a home and away sweep of the Tanzanians.

Vipers lose away to Horoya 

Vipers SC. PHOTO/CAF

Elsewhere, Vipers completed the group phase winless after two goals on either side of the 90 handed Horoya a 2-0 win in a game played in Bamako, Mali.

The victory took the Guinean side to seven points, five ahead of Vipers who finished the group stages without a single victory and only one goal scored.

Goals in each half from Yakhouba Barry and Sory Traore handed the Guineans maximum points to sign off from the group stages with victory.

Barry broke the deadlock early on in the 19th minute with a backheel swing after Vipers keeper Jack Komakech who was handed his Champions League debut fumbled in an attempt to pick a cross from the right.

Vipers attempted to get themselves back into contention and the closest they came was via a Martin Kizza shot that came rattling under the base of the upright.

In the second half, the chances were few and far in between, but Horoya had the last word in the second minute of added time when Traore finished off a brilliant team move by Vipers, tapping home from close range off an Alseny Soumah cross.

In Cairo, Nasser Mansy scored a hat-trick, including one at the death, to help Egyptian giants Zamalek to beat El Merreikh 4-3 on Friday night to finish third in Group D.

In an astonishing start, Zamalek led 2-0 after only two minutes and 51 seconds. But, the Sudanese rallied to draw level at 2-2 then go ahead, before Zamalek scraped back.

Quickest champions League goal 

Mostafa Shalaby scored after just 11 seconds on the clock, the quickest goal in the Champions League this season, before Mansy doubled the tally after two minutes and 51 seconds.

However, Merreikh pulled one back in the seventh minute through skipper Ramadhan Agab, before they completed the comeback three minutes after the break through Hussein Algozoli.

Paulo Sergio took the Sudanese into the lead in the 56th minute, but Zamalelk labored to get back into contention with Mansy equalizing after 64 minutes before scoring the winner at the death.